Inkstand



May 31, 1938. F 'M ASHLEY I y 2,119,308

INKsTAND Filed Sept. 16, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 lun IN VENT OR.

May 31,' 1938.

F. M. ASHLEY INKS TAND Filed Sept. 16, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1N VENTOR.

Patented May 31, 1938 UNITED STABS rNKsTnND Frank M. ifisllley, GreatKills, N. Y., assigner to Lewis Gompers, Trustee, New York, N. Y.

Application September 16, 1936, Serial No. 100,966

8 Claims.

lVIy invention relates to inkstands.

The object of my invention is to provide an inlrstand constructioncomprising a main reservoir for ink and an ink-cup which is lled by inksupplied from theV main reservoir, and which embodies means or raisingthe ink by causing a partial vacuum to be created above the inkcup andsubmitting the normal atmospheric pressure to act above the surface ofthe ink in the main reservoir to force ink therein to a higher levelwhere it may overflow into said ink-cup, or be maintained at a higherlevel by suitable means.

A further object is to provide an inkstand with a dip opening formed tosupport a pen-holder therein with a pen carried thereby extending intothe ink, the pen-holder serving to close the dip when resting therein.

A further object is to provide an inkstand which may be made of glass orplastic materials that will not deteriorate and so formed that noair-tight joints are required in its construction and in which the costof the materials and time required to assemble the parts are bothreduced to a minimum.

Further objects and features of construction will be hereinafter fullyset forth.

Referring to the drawings which form a part of this speciiication:

Fig. l is a plan View of an inkstand which discloses a preferred form ofoutline, and

Fig. 2 is an elevational sectional View on line 2-2 of Fig. i, showingthe cover and depending cylindrical portion resting in their normalposition thereon.

Fig. 3 is the same view as that of Fig. 2, except that the cover portionhas been removed and the central cylindrical portion in which theink-cup is formed, is shown to be formed separate from the body portionwhereas in Fig. 2, it is shown to be integral with the body portion.

Fig, 4 is a vertical sectional view showing the central cylindricalportion, hereinafter referred to as the cup portion, held in position bya depending cylinder which rests on the cover and is connected to thelower end of the cup portion in integral relation.

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view of a construction in which the cupportion is made of soft vulcanized rubber and is provided with a vacuumcup at its lower end by means of which the cup portion is preventediromliiting during the cup filling operation.

Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view on line 6--6 of Fig. 5, and

(Cl. 1Z0-61) Fig. 7 is a similar View showing the side of the cupportion as iiattened to provide a passage for ink, instead of a roundhole formed in the said portion, as shown in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional View of another form of construction inwhich an outer cylinder is used to support the cup portion, and

Fig. 9 is a view of the bottom of said outer cylinder showing passagesfor ink formed therein, said cylinder and cup portion being formedintegral at their lower ends.

Fig. 10 is a vertical sectional view disclosing another way of securingthe cup portion to the base of the body portion.

Fig, 11 is a vertical sectional View disclosing a jar in which islocated a cup portion and sleeve portion which cooperate to raise ink inthe same manner as disclosed in Fig. 10 but instead of the upper endbeing formed to support a pen-holder, a cork is used which extendslaterally over the entire upper end of the sleeve, said cork beingremoved to allow a fountain pen to be filled from the ink-cup.

Fig. 12 is a plan View oi the jar shown in Fig. Y 11.

Fig. 13 is a vertical sectional view in which the top end of the cupportion is shown to be located above the inner top side of thereservoir, and its bottom end secured to the body portion of the Well bycement or other suitablemeans.

By referring to Fig. 1l, the principle of operation will be readilyunderstood, and in so far as I am aware, is new in its application to aninkstand.

With ink in the jar constituting the reservoir, and the cork fitting intight relation into the upper end of the sleeve, by raising the sleevethe air is raried in the ink-cup and space above the same, causing theatmospheric pressure above the ink in the jar to force ink upwardbetween the sleeve and cup portion and overflow into the cup, and itsreturn or downward movement will force all surplus ink back into thereservoir, after which the cork may be removed and a pen filled withease.

i5 indicates the body portion formed with a reservoir IS in which issupported a cup portion l1, the cup I8 of which islocated in the upperend of said cup portion.

The cup portion may be made integral with the body portion asillustrated in Figure 2, or connected thereto by cement as illustratedin Figure 13, or may simply rest upon the bottom of the reservoir ifmade heavy enough to prevent its lifting when the partial vacuum iscreated above the cup in the act of drawing ink thereinto, as will bereadily understood.

However, when the cup portion is made of light material which liftsduring the lling operation of the sleeve movement, it is necessary tohold the cup portion in its normal position of rest by suitable means,and the means required depends upon the shape of the reservoir of thebody portion on which the cup portion rests or over which it issupported; the construction being designed to hold as much ink aspossible and to permit practically all of the ink to be eventuallysupplied to the cup.

Therefore, if the bases containing the main reservoir i have alreadybeen made and it is desired to use them with the other novel partsdescribed herein, the constructions illustrated in Figures 4, 5 and 8,may usually be used therewith, but when the entire inkstand is made fromnew moulds, the constructions illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, ispreferred.

Referring now to Fig. 2, it will be seen that the cover and body portionis made of glass or plastic material, the cover I9 extending entirelyacross the open upper end oi' the reservoir and a depending sleeveportion Z extending downward therefrom, and formed with an innercircular wall 2| which normally rests in close contact with the outerwall 22 of the cup portion, the adjacent surfaces being inclinedrelative to the vertical topermit easy drawing in the mouldingoperations, as will be readily understood.

The lower end or bottom of the reservoir is preferably formed with adeep circular recess 23 into which the lower end of the sleeve extendsas shown, the object being to prevent air from flowing from thereservoir between the sleeve and cup portion when the ink is low in thereservoir and the sleeve is being raised in the act of lling theink-cup.

The upper end of the sleeve or cover, as the case may be, is formed witha conically formed dip opening 24 in which is fitted a soft rubber seat25 to provide a tight joint between the lower end of the pen-holder usedwith the stand, to insure proper lifting of the ink to the ink-cup inthe lling operation, but a cork, or a flat piece of paper laid upon theflat surface 86 of the cover will answer the same purpose.

As the cover is raised the space between the sleeve and cup portionincreases and forms a passage for ink leading to the dip-cup.

In Figures 4, 8, and 11, the ink cup portion is separated a limiteddistance from the adjacent sleeve to form an annular passage 2 Ybetweenthem, and in Figures 5, and 10, a vertical passage 21 is formed withinthe outer wall of the cup portion, and the adjacent sleeve portion istted to slide closely to the outer wall of the cup portion instead ofbetween the walls.

In Figures 4 and 8, the outer cylindrical sleeve 28 is formed integralwith the cup portion at their lower ends as shown; in Figure 4, the saidcylinder being suspended from the cover by a flange 29 and its innerdiameter is increased to allow holes 3!) to be formed to permit anyoverow of ink that may be forced upward between the outer surface of thesleeve and the inner surface of the cylinder.

In Figure 8, the cylinder rests on the bottom of the reservoir andremains there due to its weight; therefore the top end of the cylindermay be spaced from the under side of the cover to provide an annularspace 3i to serve the same purpose, and if the cylinder should lift inthe lling operation of the cup the upper end of the cylinder will abutthe under side of the cover.

In Figure 5, the cup portion is made of soft vulcanized rubber and asuction cup 32 is formed integral therewith which serves to position thecup portion and to hold it in xed relation with the bottom of thereservoir.

To those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains, it will beobvious that many changes in details of construction may be made withoutdeparting from the invention disclosed herein, such as changes in formand relative dimensions, and in materials used.

Having thus described my invention I claim as new:

1. An inkstand comprising a reservoir for ink, a cup portion the lowerend of which is permanently closed, and means for reducing theatmospheric pressure in the cup portion to cause ink to ow from thereservoir into said cup portion.

2. An inkstand comprising a reservoir for ink, a cup portion having anink-cup formed therein, a sleeve extending over the cup portion with itslower end resting near the bottom of the reservoir in open communicationtherewith and its upper end extending above said ink-cup, and meanscomprising a closure for the upper end of said sleeve for reducing theatmospheric pressure within said sleeve by its upward movement when itslower end is immersed in a liquid.

3. An inkstand comprising a body portion having a reservoir for ink anda cup portion supported therein, an open ended sleeve extending oversaid cup` portion with its lower end resting adjacent to the bottom ofthe reservoir and its upper end resting adjacent to the upper end oisaid cup portion and. formed to support a penholder which serves as aclosure for the said open end; the construction being such that when aliquid is in the reservoir it serves to seal the lower end of saidsleeve and when said sleeve is raised the liquid will flow upward fromthe reservoir to said ink-cup.

4. An inkstand comprising a body portion having a reservoir therein, acup portion therein having an ink cup formed in its upper end, a sleeveextending over said cup portion which is open at both ends, and meansfor closing the upper end of said sleeve to provide an air-tight chamberwhen a liquid is in the reservoir and serves to close the lower end ofsaid sleeve.

5. An inkstand consisting of two parts, a body portion having areservoir formed therein and a cup portion having an ink-cup formedtherein and connected to the body portion in integral relation, and acover for the reservoir having a depending sleeve which extendsdownwardly over said cup portion to near its lower end.

6. The construction dened in claim 5, together with said reservoir beingformed with an annular depression in which the lower end of said sleevenormally rests.

7. An inkstand comprising a body portion having a reservoir for inkformed therein, a cup portion having an ink-cup, a sleeve extending oversaid cup portion the upper end of which is adapted to be closed to forma closed chamber and the lower end of which is adapted to be closed byink in the reservoir; the construction embodying a passage leading fromthe reservoir to the inkcup thru which ink flows from the reservoir tothe ink-cup when the sleeve is raised.

8. An inkstand comprising a body portion having a reservoir for ink, acover for said reservoir having a depending sleeve and formed with aclosed chamber above the ink-cup; the construction being such that theupward movement of said sleeve relative to said ink-cup will increasevthe cubic capacity of said chamber.

FRANK M, ASHLEY.

